Best to have a small fan to circulate the smoke evenly. The air flow also drops smoking time because it helps more smoke to come in contact with the food making it deeper in colour and stronger in flavour in a shorter time.

3-4 hr smoke with natural venting or 2 hrs with convection smoking. This will give a great colour and flavour

Hi Mike

What do you use for smoke? Do you use wood, sawdust or pellets? I always get good smoke flavour but if I get good colour too it usually tastes over smoked. It would be good to know how you get both.

Have there been any cheeses that have surprised you when you have tried smoking them? pleasantly or otherwise?

not hugely surprised. Most I knew how they were going to turn out for the most part.

But that being said 2 stand out for me. The Blue Stilton and its sister cheese Shropshire Blue. I prefer the stilton over the Shropshire, but that's a preference of the cheese itself. I was really amazed on how it changes the flavor and strength of the cheese. After smoking I find that the Stilton has a mellower blue flavor. I never enjoyed it prior to smoking and nbow I can only eat it if its smoked. I love blue cheese but Stilton is not in my 5 preferred. I prefer the French and Italian blues.

cant say ive had any I would say were unpleasant. Always tried smoking cheeses that were likely to take the smoke and work well. Hard to find a cheese that cant be tasty when smoked. Its like bad bacon. Some is better than others, but its still bacon mmmmmmm... bacon.....

But that being said 2 stand out for me. The Blue Stilton and its sister cheese Shropshire Blue. I prefer the stilton over the Shropshire, but that's a preference of the cheese itself. I was really amazed on how it changes the flavor and strength of the cheese.

... Its like bad bacon. Some is better than others, but its still bacon mmmmmmm... bacon.....

Do you use the strong Mature Blue Stilton or the milder (but still tasty) creamy Stilton?

Ahh yes bacon. mmmmmm describes it to a tee. . I am currently running low so a new batch of back bacon is being started this weekend.

What do you use for smoke? Do you use wood, sawdust or pellets? I always get good smoke flavour but if I get good colour too it usually tastes over smoked. It would be good to know how you get both.

Cheers Wade

my commercial smoker uses saw dust. Use hickory mostly, though I do like 3 or 4:1 of hickory:mesquite. I find the little bit of mesquite adds to the colour and a unique taste that people like and cant figure out.

As mentioned the fan really helps the smoke adhere to the food giving great colour and flavour. Most use a little computer fan in the smoker to circulate, cheap and easy to install. If you are smoking with heavier white smoke it will be light in colour with deep flavor that can be bitter if slightly over smoked. Also have to have your vents wide open with heavy smoke to prevent stale smoke. TBS is the best smoke for cheese. Nice and light so it has a smoother flavor, takes longer to smoke and gives a better colour.

The closer to freezing temps when cold smoking the more condensation is in the smoke making it stronger in flavor, higher in creosote. Not what you want for cheese.

Do you use the strong Mature Blue Stilton or the milder (but still tasty) creamy Stilton?

Ahh yes bacon. mmmmmm describes it to a tee. . I am currently running low so a new batch of back bacon is being started this weekend.

medium aged. Stronger works as well. We usually import the creamy Tuxford & Tebbutt Blue Stilton and the Cromwell Bishop aged Blue Stilton as well.

Both smoke very nice, I prefer the T&T Stilton for smoking though. It mellows out the blue the most after smoking.

Both are very good though. Just preference of the cheese. If you prefer milder blues then try that first.

As you mentioned earlier, it comes down to personal taste. I've converted a lot of customers who wouldn't even smell blue cheese to eaters by sampling the smoked creamy blue stilton many, many times. Its reeeaaally good on burgers, steaks in a compound butter, blue cheese dip with hot wings, blue cheese dressing on a spinach salad with toasted walnuts and almonds. Amazing to use with cream cheese, dried onions, lemon juice, paprika, Lee & Perrins and cream cheese to make a cheese log or cheese ball.

I've been doing cheese in temps from -10 to 30ish in my MES 40. With the AMNPS at those temps, it doesn't really get above 70. I get concerned at 80 and I'll open the door and cool it off if it hits 90. IMHO, a preheat or warm-up at 100 is too hot. Did you monitor the temp inside the MES?

I'm using a dedicated converted cold smoke whiskey barrel, about 55 gallons in size. My outdoor temps have ranged from about 5 to 45 in the last 10 weeks. It is hard to get above 85 inside the smoker using the amnps here. I do monitor the inside temps frequently JUST to be sure. The one time it got to 85 I had two rows ignite accidentally so it did come up a little in temp but at about 30 degrees outside, it will maintain 50 to 60 in the smoker. Once May comes, I guess I'm done until November!

I don't have that problem. It is still -6 degrees here with a high of 2 today and a low of -20. I have to put heat into the smoker so it doesn't get too cold. The way it looks, I will be able to smoke cheese on the 4th of July!

I don't have that problem. It is still -6 degrees here with a high of 2 today and a low of -20. I have to put heat into the smoker so it doesn't get too cold. The way it looks, I will be able to smoke cheese on the 4th of July!
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Getting off lucky. Where I am it's the the coldest weekend of the winter. 10am and it's still -47f, with the wind chill. Was almost -60c early this morning.